A Better Sanctuary

Text: Hebrews 9

Introduction:

Old Covenant

New Covenant

Repeated sacrifices

One sacrifice

The blood of others

His own blood

Covering sin

Putting away sin

For Israel only

For all sinners

Left the holy of Holies

Entered heaven and remains there

Came out to bless the people

Will come to take His people to heaven

 

  1. The Old Sanctuary (v. 1-10)
    1. Description of the old sanctuary
      1. Outer court
      2. Tabernacle
        1. Made with earthly materials
        2. Dimensions: 45' by 15' by 15'
        3. Holy place
          1. Lampstand
          2. Table with showbread
          3. Golden altar (KJV has "censer")
          4. Note: Coals from this altar were taken into the Holy of Holies when the High Priest entered. That is why in Hebrews we see the altar "in" the Holy of Holies.
        4. Holy of Holies
          1. Ark of the covenant
            1. Gopher wood overlaid in and out with gold
            2. Cherubim on top
            3. Mercy seat onto which the blood was poured
          2. Pot of manna
          1. Aaron's rod that budded
          1. 10 Commandments
    1. Deficiencies of the old sanctuary
      1. Made of earthly materials (v. 1)
      2. Required continual offerings (v. 6)
      3. Limited access (v. 7)
        1. Only the priests could go in the holy place
        2. Only the High Priest could in the Holy of Holies
        3. No direct access to God
      4. It was only temporary (v. 9)
      5. Ritual cleansing, but no internal cleansing (v. 9-10)
        1. Could not cleanse the conscience (v. 9)
        2. Could only cleanse the external (v. 10)
  1. The Better Sanctuary (v. 11-15)
    1. Better materials (v. 11)
      1. Not made with human hands
      2. Not made with earthly materials (v. 11)
    2. Better offering (v. 12)
      1. Better blood
      2. Only needed to be offered once
    3. Better acquisition (v. 12)
      1. Obtained eternal redemption
      2. Cleansed our conscience
    4. Better inheritance (v. 15)
    5. Summary of the sufficiency of the better sanctuary in heaven
      1. Made in heaven
      2. Christ's blood, instead of animal blood
      3. Entered once, not continually
      4. Eternal redemption, not a rolling back of sins
  2. The Better Sacrifice (v. 16-22)
    1. Death
      1. This was necessary to pay for our sins
      2. This was necessary to put the new covenant into effect
        1. A will is not put into effect until the testator dies
        2. It provides a new Comforter for us
    2. Blood
      1. Necessary to cleanse us
      2. Necessary to cleanse creation
        1. Creation is still groaning because of sin
        2. Some suggest that heaven needed cleansing because of Satan's rebellion and that Christ's blood cleanses heaven as well as man and creation
      3. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission
    3. Key concept: It took a bloody death, not just a death to pay for our sins
      1. Some have minimized the blood of Christ
      2. Debate over whether Jesus presented His literal blood in heaven or if it is symbolic of His paying for our sins
      3. Note: This is the crux of the John MacArthur heresy on the blood
    4. Christ's Ministry in a Nutshell
      1. Entered heaven itself
      2. Appears on our behalf
      3. Offered sacrifice once
      4. Judgment is coming for all men
      5. Christ is now interceding on our behalf
      6. Christ entered heaven and sat down. He will get up again to return to earth at the 2nd Coming
      7. "Appear" used three times with three tenses in 9:24-27
        1. He has appeared to put away sin by dying on the cross (Heb. 9:26).
        2. He is appearing now in heaven for us (Heb. 9:24).
        3. He shall appear to take Christians home (Heb. 9:28).
        4. These "three tenses of salvation" are all based on His finished work (from Wiersbe)